macOS mail, and rules. Need help finding which computer has a rule...

[PinkyMacGodess]

I have just about had it with macOS Mail!

I, apparently, have a rule *somewhere* that moves an email from someone to a folder, and sets it to 'read', and they have been trying to get a hold of me, and after unhooking my IMP in anticipation of a tornado (that passed about 5 miles away) started getting their pissed off, by that time, emails.

I looked at the IMP, and the MBP I use, and the rules aren't there! So, where are they? I mean, dammit, the macOS rules system fails so damn much, and yet when it actually works, I end up getting stuck on a PIKE, swinging in the wind, AND I CAN'T FIND THE DAMNED RULE!!!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

I mean, rules suck. They usually don't work. Now I wonder what else the macOS Mail program has been doing.

Yeah, I even checked iCloud, and it's not there, but there are three unrelated rules, and now I don't know whether to delete them, or leave them there.

COME ON APPLE, FIX macOS MAIL RULES!!! If I get sued for this, I WILL include Apple in this as much as I can, you can believe that!!!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

AND I have gone through EVERY macOS SYSTEM I have, and can find NO RULE for what happened. I know I created one, but I can't, for my life, find it.

It's kinda freaking me out now. WHAT OTHER RULES ARE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENE THAT I CAN'T FIND, AND DON'T REMEMBER?

 

[0128672]

By any chance is it a smart mailbox? Those have their own rules setup.

 

[ignatius345]

Have you tried going to iCloud.com, opening Mail there, and seeing if there are any server-side rules set up? These would be rules that would run first, independently of any particular Mac you might have.

Once you open Mail in the web interface, look way at the bottom left corner for "gear" icon, click that to open the Rules screen.

(Oh wait, just realized you never said this was an iCloud account. If it's not, maybe try logging into whatever mail provider you have and checking for rules/filters there. Gmail definitely has server-side rules, and I've used other services that do as well.)

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

By any chance is it a smart mailbox? Those have their own rules setup.

I don't think so. Is there a way to tell the difference?

Have you tried going to iCloud.com, opening Mail there, and seeing if there are any server-side rules set up? These would be rules that would run first, independently of any particular Mac you might have.

Once you open Mail in the web interface, look way at the bottom left corner for "gear" icon, click that to open the Rules screen.

(Oh wait, just realized you never said this was an iCloud account. If it's not, maybe try logging into whatever mail provider you have and checking for rules/filters there. Gmail definitely has server-side rules, and I've used other services that do as well.)

It is an iCloud account, and I did check the rules there, and none of them are concerning those emails.

AND I had an Apple advanced technician/agent call scheduled for 2 today, and it's almost 4, and no call from Apple.

Disappointed...

 

[Apple_Robert]

AND I had an Apple advanced technician/agent call scheduled for 2 today, and it's almost 4, and no call from Apple.

Disappointed...

Try doing a search for the following files and see if you come up with anything.

SyncedRules.plist
RulesActiveState.plist
SyncedFilesInfo.plist

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

AND I had an Apple advanced technician/agent call scheduled for 2 today, and it's almost 4, and no call from Apple.

Disappointed...

OMG!!! After confirming that I wanted toe call at 2PM Eastern, the Apple minion scheduled it for 5:30PM Eastern!!!

What?!?!?!

Try doing a search for the following files and see if you come up with anything.

SyncedRules.plist
RulesActiveState.plist
SyncedFilesInfo.plist

They are all there on this current system. This system is newer than when the rule would have been created, so it seems I need to look at each Mac and check those files. Yikes... But thanks.

It seems that 'syncedrules' is the list of email addresses subject to the rules, correct? Find the system witht hat email in that file, and I've found the system that has the rule *somewhere*?

 

[0128672]

I don't think so. Is there a way to tell the difference?

In your lefthand list of email boxes, there are categories for Favorites, Smart Mailboxes, and iCloud. Do you see any mailboxes under Smart Mailboxes? If so, right click to view the rules.

In other words, under which category does the mailbox appear that contains the moved and read emails from your sender?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Try doing a search for the following files and see if you come up with anything.

SyncedRules.plist
RulesActiveState.plist
SyncedFilesInfo.plist

They are all there on this current system. This system is newer than when the rule would have been created, so it seems I need to look at each Mac and check those files. Yikes... But thanks.

It seems that 'syncedrules' is the list of email addresses subject to the rules, correct? Find the system with that email in that file, and I've found the system that has the rule *somewhere*?

In your lefthand list of email boxes, there are categories for Favorites, Smart Mailboxes, and iCloud. Do you see any mailboxes under Smart Mailboxes? If so, right click to view the rules.

In other words, under which category does the mailbox appear that contains the moved and read emails from your sender?

'iCloud'. Smart Mailboxes is empty.

 

[Apple_Robert]

They are all there on this current system. This system is newer than when the rule would have been created, so it seems I need to look at each Mac and check those files. Yikes... But thanks.

It seems that 'syncedrules' is the list of email addresses subject to the rules, correct? Find the system with that email in that file, and I've found the system that has the rule *somewhere*?

I am no WildSky but, I believe that that is the gist.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

So what I learned is really disconcerting.

I *think* what happened is that the 'phantom rule' existed on my old MBP, the one with the psycho keyboard. So, before I tripped to the Apple Store I did a Time Machine backup of it, and then, at the store, did a wipe (reinstall macOS).

Here's the hypothesis I have: That phantom rule was on that MBP, and when I wiped it, the rule disappeared. Apparently there were a whole bunch of rules on that system, and they ALL disappeared. Make sense, right. So, I go looking on the Time Machine backup, and it appears that TM does not backup the User Library for Mail. What? Yes, I can't find it. Weird, right?

AND each system can have rules that cover the same folders and perform the same tasks, or completely different tasks, ON THE SAME MESSAGES! And there is no way to 'transfer them to the 'cloud''. Nope, don't even try.

So, each system can have their own rules, delete a system, or have it offline for a while, and the rule(s) on that system don't run. They don't exist. *POOF*...

So, not having a way of knowing what rules were on that system, I haven't got a clue what to recreate. I have no clue what to do. This is a horrific disaster, potentially. I mean, what if some rules on that now deceased MBP were running before some rules I created later on, or were on a different system that is still here, and now that rule is running, and the other one ran more often. I mean, weird...

macOS Mail is a crock of crap dressed as fire hydrant! What a disaster. There sould be at least a way to sync rules across systems. Isn't that what iCloud is for? There should be a way to sync the rules up to the iCloud Mail system.

And this totally ignores the FACT that Time freaking Machine SHOULD BE BACKING THOSE RULES UP!!!

Good grief...

macOS Mail is the slasher clown living in your house, waiting to cause all kinds of havoc. I'm not amused...

Is there another email client that will do rules more consistently, and also works with iCloud? Or is in iClud? iClod? iCludge? Not funny, Mr Apple. Can't you guys fix this? And steve had a fit over mobileme. I never had problems with that. *shrug*

Maybe I just go with a different email provider out in the cloud. Or start my own email server (shudder) and see what happens.

EDIT: There has to be a better way to deal with rules than this...

 

[Apple_Robert]

So what I learned is really disconcerting.

I *think* what happened is that the 'phantom rule' existed on my old MBP, the one with the psycho keyboard. So, before I tripped to the Apple Store I did a Time Machine backup of it, and then, at the store, did a wipe (reinstall macOS).

Here's the hypothesis I have: That phantom rule was on that MBP, and when I wiped it, the rule disappeared. Apparently there were a whole bunch of rules on that system, and they ALL disappeared. Make sense, right. So, I go looking on the Time Machine backup, and it appears that TM does not backup the User Library for Mail. What? Yes, I can't find it. Weird, right?

AND each system can have rules that cover the same folders and perform the same tasks, or completely different tasks, ON THE SAME MESSAGES! And there is no way to 'transfer them to the 'cloud''. Nope, don't even try.

So, each system can have their own rules, delete a system, or have it offline for a while, and the rule(s) on that system don't run. They don't exist. *POOF*...

So, not having a way of knowing what rules were on that system, I haven't got a clue what to recreate. I have no clue what to do. This is a horrific disaster, potentially. I mean, what if some rules on that now deceased MBP were running before some rules I created later on, or were on a different system that is still here, and now that rule is running, and the other one ran more often. I mean, weird...

macOS Mail is a crock of crap dressed as fire hydrant! What a disaster. There sould be at least a way to sync rules across systems. Isn't that what iCloud is for? There should be a way to sync the rules up to the iCloud Mail system.

And this totally ignores the FACT that Time freaking Machine SHOULD BE BACKING THOSE RULES UP!!!

Good grief...

macOS Mail is the slasher clown living in your house, waiting to cause all kinds of havoc. I'm not amused...

Is there another email client that will do rules more consistently, and also works with iCloud? Or is in iClud? iClod? iCludge? Not funny, Mr Apple. Can't you guys fix this? And steve had a fit over mobileme. I never had problems with that. *shrug*

Maybe I just go with a different email provider out in the cloud. Or start my own email server (shudder) and see what happens.

EDIT: There has to be a better way to deal with rules than this...

Canary Mail | The Smartest Email App On The Planet

Canary learns how you email. It can write your emails, surface what needs attention, silence spam, and much more. Say hello to your Inbox Copilot.

canarymail.io

 

[worldvirus]

What amazes me is somehow you got a rule to work.
I have 4 different macs and I have never been able to get mail rules to work on any of them in any recent OS

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

What amazes me is somehow you got a rule to work.
I have 4 different macs and I have never been able to get mail rules to work on any of them in any recent OS

I have email that comes in from a company that I have repeatedly requested to be unsubscribed. So I probably have that company on ALL of my macs, and the rule never seems to work. So, I am thinking that multiple rules my freak out some part of the Apple Mail Abyss Monster. If I go into one of their emails in the junk folder, open it, look at the pure purulence horror, and go to messages and apply rule, the rule on that system runs, and the email disappears. Where it disappears is a total mystery. Does it just go *POOF*? Seriously, apparently, yes... Are you frightened yet? I don't think you can get them back. *period* Wow...

 

[Apple_Robert]

I have email that comes in from a company that I have repeatedly requested to be unsubscribed. So I probably have that company on ALL of my macs, and the rule never seems to work. So, I am thinking that multiple rules my freak out some part of the Apple Mail Abyss Monster. If I go into one of their emails in the junk folder, open it, look at the pure purulence horror, and go to messages and apply rule, the rule on that system runs, and the email disappears. Where it disappears is a total mystery. Does it just go *POOF*? Seriously, apparently, yes... Are you frightened yet? I don't think you can get them back. *period* Wow...

Why not just block that company from sending you any further email? That is what I do when a company doesn't respect that I have asked to be unsubscribed.

With the email open from said company, tap on the company name header (down arrow) and then tap on block contact. You won't see any more email from them.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Canary Mail | The Smartest Email App On The Planet

Canary learns how you email. It can write your emails, surface what needs attention, silence spam, and much more. Say hello to your Inbox Copilot.

canarymail.io

Was Canary one of the apps that sends you email to Russia? Yeah, I know, I don't look that paranoid, but I DO have a pair-of-noids. Honest...

I may go back to running my own email server. Maybe on Ubuntu... It was fun running it on Windoze. The extra software I had to have just to protect Exchange was crazy. Anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-whatever...

I'm just so amazed that here we are, in 2021, and the IT stuff on the mac looks like a huge skid mark. Still... Mac Mail is a mistake. Just, yuck... I'd be embarrassed...

 

[Apple_Robert]

Was Canary one of the apps that sends you email to Russia? Yeah, I know, I don't look that paranoid, but I DO have a pair-of-noids. Honest...

I may go back to running my own email server. Maybe on Ubuntu... It was fun running it on Windoze. The extra software I had to have just to protect Exchange was crazy. Anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-whatever...

I'm just so amazed that here we are, in 2021, and the IT stuff on the mac looks like a huge skid mark. Still... Mac Mail is a mistake. Just, yuck... I'd be embarrassed...

Canary is one of the good guys as far as third party goes.

MacMail seems to work fine for me. All of my day to day personal accounts are iCloud, outside of work. I have a few outside of iCloud for top secret use.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Why not just block that company from sending you any further email? That is what I do when a company doesn't respect that I have asked to be unsubscribed.

With the email open from said company, tap on the company name header (down arrow) and then tap on block contact. You won't see any more email from them.

Yeah, okay, but given my recent excursion into Crazy Town, *where* does that reside? It has to be local to the machine, and if it's not on, you see that email until you deal with it, right?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yeah, okay, but given my recent excursion into Crazy Town, *where* does that reside? It has to be local to the machine, and if it's not on, you see that email until you deal with it, right?

I block mail using my M1 Mac and that blocking also carries over for my 12" MacBook and my 2015 MBA. I just checked and I don't have any unwanted mail that is supposed to be blocked on those other Macs.

I think you meant "Funky Town." You gotta have the right tune going to do battle on the Mac.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I block mail using my M1 Mac and that blocking also carries over for my 12" MacBook and my 2015 MBA. I just checked and I don't have any unwanted mail that is supposed to be blocked on those other Macs.

I think you meant "Funky Town." You gotta have the right tune going to do battle on the Mac.

OH NOOOO!!!!

You should beat yourself for that. I will have that song in my head for hours. Hopefully not days, weeks, MONTHS?

I used to have a lot of rules on my Mac Pro, and yet even with that system on 24x7x365, I would STILL end up with messages that just sat there in the inbox, TAUNTING me!!! 'HAH, YOU WORM!!! I'M STILL HERE!!! HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!! DO YOUR WORST, AND IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH, LOSER!!!'

I actually tried to setup mu Exchange server to pull messages from iCloud, and run them through Exchange's filters and other assorted software, but it didn't end up working. It would pull, and then not. I had to nudge it, and it would pull, and then nothing. Disturbing and disgusting? Oh, it's beyond that... I could, I guess, setup my music server, and have it have all the rules. I was trying to keep it unencumbered with other tawdry functions.

Defeated...